Acting as a home away from home, equipped with gaming consoles, board games, vinyl players, and film screens, a new breed of socialising spaces is encouraging visitors to connect and engage in person. These venues foster community and belonging in an increasingly isolated digital landscape.
Paul Sirisant, CEO of Vibal, a leading entertainment ecosystem company in Southeast Asia, is a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. Renowned for his unwavering commitment to creative fields, Sirisant has left an indelible mark through his leadership roles at major music labels and marketing organisations, as well as his extensive DJ career. He has consistently pushed the boundaries to support emerging artists and foster creative communities, championing underground music and arts and facilitating the global expansion of Thai superstars.
Paulo Abiog is a food and beverage consultant specialising in coffee and cafe business creation, development, and management. He is a two-time barista champion in the Philippines as well as a participant in the ASEAN Barista Championship in Bangkok. With a background in the culinary arts and exposure to beverage mixology, Abiog specialises in the identification and creation of cafe business-related opportunities, including growth strategy and implementation of revenue-generating activities.
Ahaana Khosla is a trend forecaster, cultural strategist, writer, and editor with a background in fashion and lifestyle journalism. She writes about changing consumer behaviors, emerging trends, and social signals and has worked and consulted with a range of start-ups, magazines, and global fashion and lifestyle brands. She has written for titles such as Vogue India and Harper’s Bazaar.